44th Wisconsin Legislature
← 43rd 45th →
Wisconsin State Capitol, 1887
Overview
Legislative body	Wisconsin Legislature
Meeting place	Wisconsin State Capitol
Term	January 2, 1899 – January 7, 1901
Election	November 8, 1898
Senate
Members	33
Senate President	Jesse Stone (R)
President pro tempore	Lyman W. Thayer (R)
Party control	Republican
Assembly
Members	100
Assembly Speaker	George H. Ray (R)
Party control	Republican
Sessions
1st January 11, 1899 – May 4, 1899

The Forty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature convened from January 11, 1899, to May 4, 1899, in regular session.^[1]

Senators representing odd-numbered districts were newly elected for this session and were serving the first two years of a four-year term. Assembly members were elected to a two-year term. Assembly members and odd-numbered senators were elected in the general election of November 8, 1898. Senators representing even-numbered districts were serving the third and fourth year of a four-year term, having been elected in the general election of November 3, 1896.^[1]

Major events

• February 2, 1899: Joseph V. Quarles was elected United States Senator by the Wisconsin Legislature in joint session, after 93 ballots in the Republican caucus.
• February 4, 1899: United States Army occupation forces at Manila opened fire against armed Philippine militia, who were demanding Philippine independence, inciting the Philippine–American War.
• March 14, 1899: USS Philadelphia took control of the Samoan capital Apia in the midst of the Second Samoan Civil War.
• June 12, 1899: The 1899 New Richmond tornado completely destroyed the city of New Richmond, Wisconsin.
• November 21, 1899: Vice President of the United States Garret Hobart died in office.
• December 2, 1899: The Tripartite Convention in Washington, D.C., ended the Second Samoan Civil War by dividing the territory into a German-administered colony and an American-administered colony.
• March 14, 1900: The United States Gold Standard Act goes into effect, fixing the value of the U.S. dollar to a specific gold weight.
• November 6, 1900: 1900 United States general election:
  • Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follette elected Governor of Wisconsin.
  • William McKinley re-elected President of the United States.

Major legislation

• March 30, 1899: An Act to provide for the registration of all persons now engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in the state of Wisconsin, who were engaged in such practice on or before the first day of July, 1897, 1899 Act 87.
• Joint Resolution proposing to amend section 10, of article 8, of the constitution of Wisconsin, relating to good roads, 1899 Joint Resolution 1. Proposed an amendment to the state constitution to exempt spending on roads from constitutional limitations on deficit spending.
• Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to article 11 of the constitution of Wisconsin, giving the legislature power to pass a general banking law, 1899 Joint Resolution 13.

Summary

Senate summary

Assembly summary

Sessions

• 1st Regular session: January 11, 1899 – May 4, 1899

Leaders

Senate leadership

• President of the Senate: Jesse Stone (R)
• President pro tempore: Lyman W. Thayer (R)

Assembly leadership

• Speaker of the Assembly: George H. Ray (R)

Members

Members of the Senate

Members of the Senate for the Forty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Members of the Assembly

Members of the Assembly for the Forty-Fourth Wisconsin Legislature:^[2]

Committees

Senate committees

• Senate Committee on Agriculture – Whelan, chair
• Senate Committee on Assessment and Collection of Taxes – Whitehead, chair
• Senate Committee on Bills on Third Reading – Eaton, chair
• Senate Committee on Corporations – Devos, chair
• Senate Committee on Education – Stout, chair
• Senate Committee on Enrolled Bills – Woodworth, chair
• Senate Committee on Engrossed Bills – Whitman, chair
• Senate Committee on Federal Relations – Mills, chair
• Senate Committee on Finance, Banks and Insurance – Roehr, chair
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary – Lamoreux, chair
• Senate Committee on Legislative Expenses – Reynolds, chair
• Senate Committee on Manufactures – Anson, chair
• Senate Committee on Military Affairs – Welton, chair
• Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections – Jones, chair
• Senate Committee on Public Health – Mailer, chair
• Senate Committee on Public Lands – Dennett, chair
• Senate Committee on Railroads – Withee, chair
• Senate Committee on Roads and Bridges – Thayer, chair
• Senate Committee on State Affairs – McGillivray, chair
• Senate Committee on Town and County Organizations – Riordans, chair

Assembly committees

• Assembly Committee on Agriculture – Wylie, chair
• Assembly Committee on Assessment and Collection of Taxes – Hall, chair
• Assembly Committee on Bills on Third Reading – Porter, chair
• Assembly Committee on Cities – F. B. Keene, chair
• Assembly Committee on Corporations – Overbeck, chair
• Assembly Committee on Dairy and Food – S. D. Slade, chair
• Assembly Committee on Education – Dresser, chair
• Assembly Committee on Enrolled Bills – Buttles, chair
• Assembly Committee on Engrossed Bills – Fogo, chair
• Assembly Committee on Federal Relations – Sarau, chair
• Assembly Committee on Finance, Banks and Insurance – Buffington, chair
• Assembly Committee on the Judiciary – Wheeler, chair
• Assembly Committee on Legislative Expenditures – J. R. Farr, chair
• Assembly Committee on Lumber and Mining – H. A. Ripley, chair
• Assembly Committee on Manufactures – Zinn, chair
• Assembly Committee on Military Affairs – Rusk, chair
• Assembly Committee on Privileges and Elections – McDonald, chair
• Assembly Committee on Public Health and Sanitation – Johnson, chair
• Assembly Committee on Public Improvements – J. H. Wells, chair
• Assembly Committee on Public Lands – Polley, chair
• Assembly Committee on Railroads – J. W. Thomas, chair
• Assembly Committee on Roads and Bridges – A. Jensen, chair
• Assembly Committee on State Affairs – T. J. McGrath, chair
• Assembly Committee on Town and County Organizations – J. E. Morgan, chair
• Assembly Committee on Ways and Means – G. Schoenbaum, chair

Joint committees

• Joint Committee on Charitable and Penal Institutions – Stebbins (Sen.) & William H. Hurlbut (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Claims – Baxter (Sen.) & John M. True (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Fish and Game – Green (Sen.) & L. C. Harvey (Asm.), co-chairs
• Joint Committee on Printing – Munson (Sen.) & William M. Fogo (Asm.), co-chairs

Employees

Senate employees

• Chief Clerk: Walter Houser^[3]
  • Journal Clerk: Henry C. Schultz
  • Bookkeeper: Andrew Rood
  • Engrossing Clerk: F. E. Andrews
    • Assistant Engrossing Clerk: E. P. Bennett
  • Enrolling Clerk: H. E. Polly
  • Enrollment Clerk: Ed. Schaffland
  • Proofreader: F. W. Bruce
  • Index Clerk: J. C. McFarland
    • Assistant Index Clerk: R. H. Clark
  • Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: M. Schmidt
  • Clerk for the Committee on Bills on 3rd Reading: Joseph Elliott
  • Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: Irene Whitman
  • Clerk for the Committee on Incorporations: M. P. Schmitt
  • Clerk for the Committee on Claims: W. H. Burk
  • Clerk for the Committee on State Affairs: I. S. Dunn
  • Stenographer: G. E. Dixon
  • Clerks:
    • Will F. Cody
    • A. R. Mead
  • Document Clerks:
    • F. W. Meinke
    • Ben. S. Thayer
  • Comparing Clerks:
    • Edwin Blair
    • M. S. Cyboruski
    • D. Graham
    • W. J. Hocking
• Sergeant-at-Arms: Charles A. Pettibone
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: A. F. Wright
• Postmaster: Christoph Paulus
  • Assistant Postmaster: H. M. Knowlton
• Committee Room Attendants:
  • F. F. Massart
  • J. D. Corlett
• Doorkeepers:
  • R. E. Tilden
  • H. M. Allen
• Night Watch: J. G. Taylor
• Janitor: Ross Preston
• Custodian: Louis Ehlieter
  • Custodian of the Engrossing Room: H. Roener
  • Custodian of the Enrolling Room: Joseph S. Green
• Messengers:
  • Dana L. Woodworth
  • Harry C. May
  • R. C. Stolhand
  • Loyd Jones
  • Edgar Mills
  • M. Johnson

Assembly employees

• Chief Clerk: Winslow A. Nowell^[3]
  • Assistant Chief Clerk: Frederic W. Coon
  • Journal Clerks:
    • Carleton H. Wells
    • Fred Nelson
  • Bookkeepers:
    • Jos. B. Foster
    • Claire Currier
  • Stenographers:
    • Clarence C. Fish
    • Almeda Sturdevant
  • Document Clerks:
    • John H. Johnson
    • M. L. Burdick
  • Engrossing Clerk: Lawrence H. Berges
    • Assistant Engrossing Clerk: Albert C. Brownell
  • Enrolling Clerk: Charles W. Blay
    • Assistant Enrolling Clerk: Albert J. Wolf
  • Index Clerk: Fred H. Hartwell
    • Assistant Index Clerk: C. E. Shaffer
  • Stationary Clerk: Henry H. McGraw
  • Proof Reader: John H. Frazier
  • Comparing Clerks:
    • Mary E. Chadwick
    • Anna Haseltine
    • Nellie L. Proctor
    • Alluna Christie
  • Clerk for the Judiciary Committee: Henry S. Sloan
  • Clerk for the Committee on Bills on 3rd Reading: J. D. Stuart
  • Clerk for the Committee on Enrolled Bills: J. T. Atwater
  • Clerk for the Committee on Engrossed Bills: Emma C. Fogo
  • Clerk for the Committee on State Affairs: William H. Field
• Sergeant-at-Arms: James H. Agen
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: B. C. Walters
• Postmaster: H. F. Dinsmore
  • Assistant Postmaster: C. L. Turney
• Doorkeepers:
  • Joseph Goss
  • H. H. Reynolds
  • N. F. Pierce
  • D. Ray
• Gallery Attendants:
  • H. T. Mower
  • John Grootemaat
• Day Attendant: H. J. Conlin
• Porter: Herman Miller
• Flagman: D. Thiele
• Night Watch: A. C. Hoover
• Custodian of the Enrolling Room: Andrew Nelson
• Custodian of the Engrossing Room: William Eggert
• Committee Room Custodians:
  • H. F. Pagel
  • Ralph C. Pickering
• Cloak Room Attendants:
  • Martin Thompson
  • F. G. Dahlberg
• Pages:
  • Goodworth Lillisand
  • Walter Nebel
  • Albert Haven
  • Willie Doty
  • Arthur Funking
  • Solli Cooper
  • Geo Blanchard
  • Earl V. Agen
  • Hubert Ford
  • Stanley Morse
  • John Colling
  • Thomas Lloyd